Ice skate walker



Feb. 26, 1935. P, G, COLE 1,992,291

ICE SKATE WALKER Filed April 50, 1934 INVENTOR Patented Feb. 26, 1935UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My present invention relates to an ice skateY walker and constitutes an improvement over the device covered byUnited States Letters Patent No. 1,880,340, granted to me October 4,1932.

As set forth in my aforementioned patent the device is intended for usein walking from a club house or hotel on ice skates to a skating pondlocated some distance away to-prevent subjecting the skate blades to thedulling `action which would result from repeated .contact with theground and for relieving the skater from ankle strain during suchwalking. More specifically, the objects of my present invention are toprovide a device of the character set forth which will be i of smallersize than those heretofore provided so as to be convenientlyportablewithin. the

skaters skate shoes when not in use; which willv provide a moreefficient and effective holding engagement upon a skate blade; whichwill be of lighter weight and have compressible, anti-slip ping meansthereon to facilitate walking on skates, and to generally improve thedevice in its constructional details.

The invention will .be better understood from the detailed descriptionwhich follows, when considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing which shows apreferred embodiment of my invention, and whereinFigure 1 is a side elevation of my skate walker applied to an ice skate.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my ice skate Walker.

Figs. 3 and 4 are end elevations taken from the right .and left ends,`respectively, of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections taken substantially along the planes of thelines V5 5 and 6 6. of Fig. 2. j

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the ice skate walker clampedto an ice skate blade. Referring to the drawing, my ice skate walker maybe said to comprise a sole or. tread portion A which is formed on itsupper side adjacent each end with upstanding lugs Band C anking thelongitudinal center line of the tread portion, with the lugs B on oneside of said center line in somewhat spaced relation thereto, and thelugs C on the opposite side of said center line in more close relationthereto than the lugs B, and with the lugs onthe samesidelof said centerline in longitudinal alignment.

Supported and carried by the lugs B is a clamping member or bar D, theends of which are turned back to provide substantially U-shaped portionsd, the bight portion 2d at the toe end of the tread portion being seatedand movable in a recess b improved formed in the end of the lug B atsaid toe end, and the bight portion 3d at the heel end of said clampingmember having a` slot 4d therein throughwhich extends a'pin 2b which issecured in the outer end of the lug B at said heel end of the treadmember. The recess b and the pin and slot connection 2b andld at theopposite ends of the clamping member serve to support said clampingmember and guide it in its lateral movements toward and from the lugs C.Normally said clamping member is held in engagement with the inner faceof the lugs B Aby a pair of leaf springs 3b, one end of which is secured.to

`said clamping member and the other end of which bears against the outerfaces of the lugs B. `For moving theclamping member D inwardly towardthe lugs C for clamping engagement with a skate bladeE, the treadportion on its upper` side approximately midway between the heel and toeportions thereof is provided with upstanding lug F upon whichispivotallyv mounted a camV G having an operating handle g. Thepivotalconnection'for the cam G is provided by a rivet 2g having an enlargedshank 3g, the head of which engages over the top face cf the cam and theopposite endv of which bears upon'the upper side of the tread portion,while the endof the rivet shank is peened over or upset against abearing surface on the underside of the tread portion. Preferably thelugA F is formed to provide a substantial bearing surface for `the faceof the cam, as will be apparent from an inspection of the drawing. Thepivotal mounting for the cam G is such that when the operating handle gis in its full line position, as shown at Fig. 2, the cam isinoperative; and as said handle is moved around its pivot in a clockwisedirection the cam engages the clamping member D and moves it inwardlytoward the lugs C, the limit of said `movementbeing reached when theoperating handle is moved through an arc of approximately 180. Topromote the gripping and holding actionV of the clamping member upon theskate bladeE, the lugs C areeach provided with a Ufshaped jaw orclip'I-Iwhich is pivotally mounted upon said lug by a pinih whichextends through the arms of the clips and longitudinally through thelugs.

Normally the bight of the U-shaped clips or the engaging faces thereofare caused to assume aY position .inclined to the upper face of theytread portion and extending upwardly and outwardly from the center linethereof by being acted upon by a bullet nose pawl J which is urgedinwardly by a spring 5i, the said spring-pressed pawl being mounted in acup-shaped member K which is num or `an aluminum alloy, so as weight toa minimum, and thatit may also have cesses in addition to driving Vthe 2force-fitted or otherwise held within a recess c in the lug. For furtherinsuring the holding of the device upon racing skate blades, which areusually provided with a longitudinallyextending rib disposed insubstantial parallel relation to the skating edge on either face of saidblade, I provide the blade-engaging faces of the clamping member and theclips with complemental grooves 4b and 2c, respectively. To avoid theentire clamping member engaging the skate blade when in clampingrelationthereto, said clamping member may have the portion thereof 5d which isintermediate the clamping ends thereof, bent inwardly, as best shown inFig. 2. Y

It will be obvious that the skate walker can be made of any suitablematerial, preferably alumito reduce its its net weight further reducedby being formed of av width of material to provide a tread outline whichmaybe reinforced by one or more transversely-extending connecting ribssuch as 2c. To promote ease in walking on skates with the aid of myskate walkenI nd it preferable to give to said sole or tread member aslightly curved or arched contour in a longitudinal direction, as

best shown in 1Eig. Land to further ease said walking and preventslipping in walking upon ice, I prefer to provide the underside of saidtread portion with spaced, compressible, anti-slipping means or calks L.These calks may be made of any preferred form and material, such, forexample, of a rubberV composition in semi-spherical forrnprovided with ametallic pin Z, the head of which is vulcanized into said rubber, whichcalks may be mounted in shallow recesses central pin openings thereinformed in the unc derside of'saidv tread portion. In practice it may beadvisable to cement said Vcalks within said repins Z into the pinopenings provided therefor.

In practice, the skate walker as disclosed, may be VVused on'either aright or left shoe, or, if desired, it may be made with thecam-operating means on opposite sides so as to be more readily adaptedfor right and left shoes. In the application of my skate'walker to askate blade it is merely necessary to position the blade of the skatebeclamping position.

tween the clamping member and the jaws or clips onrthe lugs C and movethe operating handle g through an are of approximately 180 to move theclamping Ymember into clamping position. The removal of the device fromthe skate canrbe readily accomplished by merely moving the'handle in theopposite direction, whereupon the springs 3b Vwill function to move theclamping member out of In the clamping operation it will be appreciatedthat the clamping faces'` oi the clips H are moved from their normallyoutwardlyinclined position into either substantially parallel orVsomewhat inclined or clamping relation with the iceskate blade, andwhen in said position the springs y contribute in clamping the device"upon the skate blade. Y

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that I haveprovided a simple, ofncient and novel form of ice skate walker, andwhile I have shown and described but a single embodiment of device'I donot wish to be limited Vto the precise details of construction disclosed3a having Y therein since modifications thereof may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

, 1. A skate walker or the like, comprising a sole or tread portionhaving on its upper side movable clamping means and an abutment betweenwhich the blade of an ice skate can be clamped, and resilient meansnormally urging the skate blade engaging face of the abutmenttowardtheclamping means.

2. A skate walker or the like, comprising'a sole or tread portion havingon its upper side movable clamping means and an abutment between whichthe blade vof an ice skate can be clamped, said abutment having apivotally mounted springpressed skate blade engaging face.

3.' A skate walker or the like, comprising'a sole or tread portionhaving on its upper side cam operable clamping means and an abutmentbetween which the blade of an ice skate can be clamped, said abutmenthaving a spring-pressed skate blade engaging face! .Y Y

4v. A skate walker or the like, comprising a sole or tread portionhaving on its upper side movable clamping means and an abutment betweenwhich the blade of an ice skate can be clamped, said clamping meanshaving portions thereof disposed in a plane substantially parallel tothe face of the blade to be engaged thereby and movable lateraliy.relatively to the abutment, and said abutment having a skate bladeengaging face which is normally'disposed at an angle to the face of theblade to'be engaged thereby and adapted YYtorbe moved into facialengagement with said blade as the blade is moved thereagainst by theclamping means.

5. A skate walker or the like comprising a sole or tread portion havingon its upper side an abutment adjacent Ythe .eel Vand the toe Vportionsthereof on one side of the longitudinal center line thereof and inproximity thereto, and clamping means on the other side or' said centerline inV proximity thereto, an'dbetween which abutments and clampingmeans an ice skate blade can beV clamped, said' clamping meanshavingporticns thereof disposed in a plane substantially parallel to theface of the blade to be vengaged thereby and l movable laterallyrelatively to the abutments, and

said abutments having skate blade engaging faces which are normallydisposed atan angle'to the face of the blade to be engaged thereby andadapted to be moved into facial engagement with said blade as the bladeis moved thereagainst by the 4clamping means. v Y

6. A skate walker or the like, comprising a sole or thread portionhaving on its upper Vside adjacent each end two upstanding lugs flankingthe longitudinal center line of the tread portion with the lugs on thesame sides of said center line being in longitudinal alignment, yamovable clamping member supported'and guided by the lugs on one side Yofsaid center line and normally held away from said center line byresilient means and manually operable means for moving said clampingmember laterally toward the lugs on the opposite sideV of said centerline to clamp an ice'skate blade between said lastmentioned lugs andsaid clamping member. l

PHILIP GILLETT CLE.

